Archives for October 5, 2017

‘”I got texts from a few teammates just congratulating me and a few nice messages,” Eichel said. “I was with Jake McCabe and Sam Reinhart sitting on the couch having dinner. I went outside to take a call from (Sabres owner Terry Pegula) and when I walked back in and sat down they looked at me and didn’t say anything and started laughing.”‘

‘There are always several leaders on any hockey team and it’s easy to wonder if we make too much over who the actual captain is. That guy is the one who can go talk to the referee when there’s a quibble and is often left to deal with the media after an ugly loss when nobody else wants to. (Poor Brian Gionta saw this corner a lot more after losses than wins the last three.’

‘But there was more to discuss, much more, considering all the positive energy funneling into the Bills and Sabres over the past week. In a three-day span, the Bills improved to 3-1 and were alone in first place in the AFC East, and the Sabres made the biggest financial commitment to a player in franchise history.’

‘”To be honest, I don’t think that happens very much anymore. I think successful teams have a collaborative model. Just like coaches, you can’t have one voice. You have to empower your assistant coaches. Within the locker room I think it’s important it’s a group effort and having young players like Jack and (Rasmus) Ristolainen be a part of that group, but also with veteran players like Jason Pominville and Kyle Okposo leading the charge. We feel very comfortable with our leadership group.”‘

‘”It’s nice, really nice,” Reinhart said. “It’s motivation to join him for the next couple of years. It’s going to be there at the end of the year. Honestly, I’m not really thinking about it at all. I find myself as an offensive player and will try to show that on this team, whether I’m playing as a third-line center or with Jack on the wing.”‘

‘In times such as these, you may be urged to patronize the usual suspects, like Tempo, Buffalo Chophouse, Bacchus, Russell’s, Salvatore’s and the Western Door. Places serving some of the finest steak and seafood around. Places where at the end of the meal, the check arrives accompanied by the complimentary sound track of an armored car backing up.’

‘ Redmond was assigned to the Amerks where he joins newcomers Nathan Paetsch, Andrew MacWilliam, Conor Allen and Barry Goers, other veterans with healthy AHL resumes. Returning defensemen include Taylor Fedun, who logged 27 games with the Sabres, Casey Nelson and prospect Brendan Guhle, a 2015 second-round draft pick who joins the team full time.’

‘“He should be there (leading),” Pominville said Wednesday after the Sabres prepared for the Montreal Canadiens. “I think everybody was kind of telling him to go in there … just give him a push to go in there. I think it’s important.”’